Sedum plant named ‘Nonag’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Sedum  plant, ‘Nonag’, characterized by its glossy foliage that emerges shiny green in color, holding this color during summer, then changing to a mahogany color during fall and winter, its green stems, its flowers in late spring and early summer that are bright lemon yellow and held upon rounded somewhat drooping inflorescences atop a dense, low growing plant habit.

Botanical classification: Sedum kamtschaticum var. floriferum.

Variety denomination: ‘Nonag’.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is co-pending with a U.S. Plant Patent Applications bythe same Inventory and pertain to plants derived from the sameparentage, the applications are entitled Sedum Plant named ‘Nonof’ (U.S.Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/200,871), and Sedum Plant named‘Nonel’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/200,893).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Sedumplant, botanically known as Sedum kamtschaticum var. floriferum ‘Nonag’and will be referred to hereinafter by its cultivar name, ‘Nonag’. Thenew cultivar of Sedum is a hardy herbaceous perennial grown for use as alandscape and container plant and is particularly suitable as a groundcover.

‘Nonag’ was discovered in March of 2009 as a naturally occurring wholeplant mutation in the Inventor's nursery in Nunica, Mich. as a singleunique plant in a field planted with 50,000 seedlings from unnamedplants of Sedum kamtschaticum var. floriferum.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by stemcuttings in June of 2009 in Nunica, Mich. Propagation by cuttings andcrown division has determined the characteristics to be stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes incombination distinguish ‘Nonag’ as a unique cultivar of Sedum.

-   -   1. ‘Nonag’ exhibits foliage that emerges shiny green and stays        shiny green throughout summer, then turns a distinct mahogany        color during fall, and winter.    -   2. ‘Nonag’ exhibits flower buds that are bright yellow.    -   3. ‘Nonag’ exhibits numerous, rounded, somewhat drooping        inflorescences with flowers of bright lemon yellow during early        summer.    -   4. ‘Nonag’ exhibits a dense, low growing habit with foliage that        reaches 6 to 7 inches in height.

The exact parent plant of ‘Nonag’ is unknown, however the plants in thefield block Sedum kamtschaticum var. floriferum in which ‘Nonel’ wasdiscovered has foliage that reached 5 inches in height and foliage thatis maroon in color during the fall and winter months. ‘Nonel’ can becompared to other cultivars of Sedum kamtschaticum var. floriferum (allun-patented) which differ from ‘Nonel’ in the following characteristics;‘Czar's Gold’ differs in having red stems, shorter and broader foliage,a mature height of 5 inches, and sparsely borne rounded inflorescences;‘Weihenstephaner Gold’ differs in having red stems, and narrower andlonger foliage which turns bronze during the fall and winter months.

‘Nonag’ can be compared to other cultivars selected from the same fieldof seedlings; ‘Nonof’ and ‘Nonel’. ‘Nonof’ differs from ‘Nonag’ inhaving foliage that in shiny green and remains shiny green in the falland winter and in reaching 4.5 inches in height. ‘Nonel’ differs from‘Nonag’ in having foliages that turns deep red-purple during fall andwinter and reaches 4 inches in height.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Sedum. The photograph was takenof a 2 year-old plants of ‘Nonag’ as grown in the ground in full sun inNunica, Mich.

The photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates the unique foliage coloration of‘Nonag’.

The colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describethe colors of the new Sedum.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar as observedon 2 year-old plants of ‘Nonag’ as grown in the ground in full sun inNunica, Mich. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variationsin environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not beentested under all possible environmental conditions. The colordetermination is in accordance with The 2001 R.H.S. Colour chart of TheRoyal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general colorterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—The last two weeks of June to the first or            second week of July in Michigan.        -   Plant habit.—Herbaceous perennial, dense, low growing habit,            mature plant sprawl from central crown with procumbent stems            rooting as they contact the ground.        -   Height and spread.—Reaches 6 to 7 inches in height (foliage)            and 7.5 inches in bloom, maximum spread is about 2 feet.        -   Hardiness.—Reliably in U.S.D.A. Zones 4B to 7B.        -   Disease and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to            diseases or pests has been observed.        -   Propagation.—Stem cuttings spring through summer and crown            division throughout the year.        -   Roots.—Fibrous.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate.-   Stem description:    -   -   Stem shape.—Round.        -   Stem size.—6 to 7 inches in length and about ⅛ inch in            width.        -   Internode length.—An average of ⅛ inch.        -   Stem color.—147B.        -   Stem surface.—Glabrous.        -   Branching habit.—Sparsely branched.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Acicular.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Leaf base.—Truncate.        -   Leaf apex.—Acute.        -   Leaf venation.—Not conspicuous, color matched leaf color.        -   Leaf margins.—Smooth, young leaves papilose-ciliate.        -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile.        -   Leaf presence and orientation.—Ascending.        -   Leaf surface.—Glabrous and waxy on upper and lower surface.        -   Leaf color.—Young and mature leaves 144B on upper and lower            surface, fall leaves upper and lower surface 178A.        -   Leaf size.—Young leaves; an average of ¼ inch in length and            1/16 inch in width, mature leaves; an average of ¾ inches in            length and ⅛ inch in width.-   Flower description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Terminal, cymose, drooping and            sub-globose in bud, erect and flat in flower, concave in            fruit, branches short and forked, dense, many flowered,            sparingly leafy.        -   Inflorescence size.—An average of 2 inches in width and 2½            inches in depth.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—About one month.        -   Flower type.—Perfect, spreading, 5-starred.        -   Flower number.—25 to 30 flowers per cyme.        -   Flower fragrance.—None.        -   Flower buds.—Conical in shape, about ¼ inch in length and ⅛            inch in diameter, ribbed surface, 7A in color.        -   Flower size.—About ¼ inch in depth and ⅜ inch in diameter.        -   Peduncles.—Round, an average of ½ inch in length and ⅛ inch            in width, 186C in color, glabrous surface.        -   Pedicels.—Round, range from ⅛ to ¼ inch in length, 1/16 inch            in width, 144B in color, glabrous surface.        -   Sepals.—5, spreading, ovate to lanceolate in shape, about ⅛            inch in length and 1/16 inch in width, 145B in color on both            surfaces, entire margin, acute apex, truncate base, glabrous            on both surfaces.        -   Petals.—5, spreading, lanceolate in shape, truncate base,            acute apex, entire margin, color of inner and outer surfaces            is 7A, glabrous on both surfaces.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Pistils.—5, held erect, about ⅜ inch in length, stigma            irregularly globose in shape, 1/32 inch in width and 154B in            color, styles lanceolate in shape, ¼ inch in length and 154D            in color, ovary 1/10 inch in diameter and 151B in color.        -   Stamens.—10, about ⅛ inch in length, filament 151D in color,            anther conical in shape, 1/16 inch in length, 151C in color,            pollen is sparse in quantity and 151D in color.        -   Fruit.—Rounded with pointed tip, aggregate, range from 1/16            to ⅛ inch in length and ¼ inch in width, 151D in color, seed            production was not observed.

1. A new and distinct variety of Sedum plant named ‘Nonag’ as describedand illustrated herein.